Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11688 – KKR / TMUS / METRONET) – Candidate case for simplified procedure
Date: 2024-08-21
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: Internet access provider, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, United States, economic concentration, insurance, investment company, merger control, provision of services, telecommunications








C_202405184EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2024/5184


21.8.2024






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.11688 – KKR / TMUS / METRONET)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(C/2024/5184)


1.   
On 12 August 2024, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).
This notification concerns the following undertakings:






—


KKR & Co. Inc. (‘KKR’, United States of America),










—


T-Mobile USA, Inc. (‘TMUS’, United States of America), controlled by Deutsche Telekom AG (‘DT’, Germany),










—


Metronet Holdings, LLC (‘Metronet’, United States of America), controlled by Oak Hill Capital Partners (United States of America) and The Cinelli Family (United States of America).




KKR and DT will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of the whole of Metronet.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are the following:






—


KKR: global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions,










—


TMUS: wireless telecommunications operator providing nationwide coverage, voice, messaging and data services in the United States of America, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.






3.   

The business activities of the undertaking Metronet are the following: fiber internet provider in the United States of America.



4.   
On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.
Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified treatment for certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 on the control of concentrations between undertakings (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.


5.   
The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.
Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. The following reference should always be specified:
M.11688 – KKR / TMUS / METRONET
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email or by post. Please use the contact details below:
Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu

Postal address:





European Commission




Directorate-General for Competition




Merger Registry




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË







(1)  
            OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).

(2)  
            OJ C 160, 5.5.2023, p. 1.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/5184/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)